In its first mission of 2019, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully launched a students' satellite Kalamsat and an imaging satellite Microsat-R from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This is also the 46th flight of ISRO's workhorse PSLV.

Kalamsat is a payload developed by students and Chennai based Space Kidz India for the first time. The Microsat-R satellite is meant for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) purposes.

The Kalamsat is the first to use the rocket`s fourth stage as an orbital platform. The fourth stage would be moved to higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments, ISRO had said.

Microsat-R and its payload come assembled from a handful of laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is meant for military use.

ISRO is using the aluminium tank for the first time in the fourth stage of the launch of PSLV C 44. This is to reduce the weight and increase the mass in the four-stage engine expendable rocket with alternating solid and liquid fuel.

In its last mission, on November 29 last year, ISRO successfully injected India's earth observation satellite HysIS onboard PSLV C43 into its designated orbit.

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